Yonex EXBOLT 68 review: hard attack string with friendlier damping
Yonex EXBOLT 68 joins the EXBOLT family after 63 and 65. I loved EXBOLT 63 when budget allowed; EXBOLT 65 always felt a bit meaty for my taste. 68 reads like a …
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Overview
Yonex EXBOLT 68 joins the EXBOLT family after 63 and 65. I loved EXBOLT 63 when budget allowed; EXBOLT 65 always felt a bit meaty for my taste. 68 reads like a BG80 evolution — and I had not run 80 in a long time — so expectations were high.
Hardness and damping
I care more about true string hardness than fake hardness from high tension on a soft gauge. EXBOLT 68 delivers honest hard feedback. At a middling 24–26 lb it already feels firmer than EXBOLT 63 to me. All-hard is rough on club arms. A quiet plus here: damping feels friendlier than old BG80, so the firmness is less punishing.
Drive and ceiling
Harder usually means harder to drive. BG80 could leave short returns when body position was cramped. EXBOLT 68 matches that hardness band but with clearer spring, so imperfect force still clears the net more often — a real edge on passive balls. Attack ceiling rises with that spring. Players who can concentrate force get a proper offensive string. Smash sound is loud — louder than Gosen Raimei 65 in my sessions.
Practical notes
I am happy with it. It covers a wider band of attacking club players than I expected. The revised jacket keeps decent roughness and, at mid tension, I rarely need to realign the bed. Tension hold reports from other players look strong; durability claims on the pack I have not personally stress-tested to a conclusion yet. It is still expensive.
Verdict
EXBOLT 68 is a hard, springy attack string that forgives passive situations better than classic BG80 while keeping a high smash ceiling. Worth it if you like firm beds and can stomach the price; skip if you live on soft control strings.
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